Around the world, 1.1 billion people have no form of sanitation facilities forcing them to defecate
in the open. Nearly 60% of those practicing open defecation live in India, meaning 626 million
Indians lack access to a closed toilet. This is a remarkable statistic when compared to the access
to cell phones in India with wireless mobile networks had connected 98.1% of India’s inhabited
villages.

Monitor Deloitte is one of the global brands of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee which renders management consulting services, advising corporations, governments and international development agencies worldwide. Monitor Inclusive Markets (MIM), a unit of Monitor Deloitte, was founded in India in 2005 to catalyze market-based solutions to benefit the poor through both research and action.

Microfinance, by providing services to those who are excluded from the formal banking sector, has been developed as a key strategy for reducing poverty. However, despite high recognition and enthusiasm, the impact of microfinance remains debated. The issues of financial sustainability, social impact or replicability regularly resurface, potentially weakening the sector.